Vball aims to improve during Quaker Classic

With the start of the Ivy League season just a week away, the Penn volleyball team is looking to take the next step towards becoming an elite team. After showing tremendous improvement in a 3-0 victory at Lafayette last week, the Quakers can take that next step in this weekend's Quaker Classic. The Quakers (2-2) will kick off the tournament tonight against Canisius (2-6) at 7 p.m. at the Palestra. Penn will then play a doubleheader on Saturday with matches against Big East power Boston College (2-6) and Navy (6-2) at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m., respectively. All four squads feel that they have a legitimate chance to win the tournament, which should make for competitive matches throughout. "Certainly we are coming in looking to win the whole thing," Boston College coach Nadine Lilavois said. "But, that will take hard work and a fighting spirit. You can never underestimate your opponents." The Quaker Classic should be made even more interesting by the fact that the teams are extremely unfamiliar with each other. Although all four teams do receive scouting reports, there will undoubtedly have to be some adjustments during the matches. "You can never focus on one thing in preparation for a volleyball match," Lilavois said. "Every match is a learning experience." "The most important thing, is to concentrate on your game," Penn coach Margaret Feeney said. "If we stay relaxed and execute our game plan well, our chances become very good." If the Quakers are to perform up to Feeney's expectations, they will have to further improve on last weekend's performance against the Leopards. "We definitely took a step in the right direction," Feeney said. "But we have lots more to accomplish. Last week we cut our errors in half, but we need to cut them in half again." Feeney felt that one of the keys to the Quakers' more consistent play was their improved communication on the court. She noted that Penn has had a solid week of practice and she expects further dividends from greater team cohesiveness. Senior captain Devon Austin, the team's leading outside hitter, echoed Feeney's remarks about the team's high level of play during recent practices. "If we play like we did in practice the past few days, we have a great chance of winning all three matches," Austin said. "The most important thing for us is to find that balance between staying relaxed and being aggressive." Austin's senior experience could play a major factor should the Quakers meet the Midshipmen in a winner-take-all showdown tomorrow night. Although Navy is an extremely talented club that is "just starting to gel" according to coach Jan Dainard, the one thing it lacks is experience. There is not one senior on the Navy roster. Austin will have to lead a relatively young and inexperienced Penn team by example as it tries to step up its play to meet the challenges presented by the tough out-of-league competition in this weekend's tournament. A win for the Quakers would not only provide Feeney with a plaque for her office walls, but it would give Penn some much needed confidence and momentum – two things that would be nice to take with them into the upcoming Ivy League season.